Next Week’s Session
With no recorded votes this week, the House and Senate are expected to return to Raleigh for voting sessions next week.  The House will likely have recorded votes on Thursday morning, and the Senate may return mid-to-late next week for votes.  The legislative calendar could include a technical corrections bill for the budget, a vote to override Governor Roy Cooper’s veto of the school mask legislation (SB 173—Free the Smiles Act) and an adjournment motion, which will depend on whether or not the legislature needs to address redistricting. 
 
The Senate Agriculture, Energy and Environment Committee will meet next week to consider the nomination of Karen Kemerait by the Governor to the North Carolina Utilities Commission.  Kemerait is an attorney who has experience working with utilities.
 
Legislative Activity
The Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Access to Healthcare and Medicaid Expansion held its second meeting this week.  On Wednesday, the committee heard presentations related to the state’s health care workforce, Medicaid expansion and Medicaid Transformation.
 
During his presentation, the Deputy Secretary for NC Medicaid Dave Richard asserted that the state’s successful transition to Medicaid managed care last year leaves North Carolina in a “very good place” to proceed with Medicaid expansion.   “Expansion at this time, because of what you’ve done in the past with the managed care plan, because of the incredible support we have from our medical community, because of the financial incentives at this time—it just makes great sense to improve the health of North Carolinians,” said Deputy Secretary Richard.  North Carolina is one of only 12 states that has not expanded Medicaid.
 
Some legislators expressed concerns about whether or not the state’s health care workforce could meet the needs of an additional 500,000 to 600,000 North Carolinians as a result of Medicaid expansion.  “The capacity of the plans is more than adequate,” said Peter Daniel, the Executive Director of the North Carolina Association of Health Plans (NCAHP).  “They’ve built a robust provider network and they are ready to increase that.  We stand proud and ready for Medicaid expansion if the General Assembly so chooses.”
 
Committee co-chair Rep. Donny Lambeth (R-Forsyth) stated that the committee’s work could continue through the summer as members look for a “North Carolina solution” to issues of health care access.  “The purpose of this committee is to, as the name implies, learn how we may better create access to health care and to look at Medicaid expansion for North Carolina.  We’re going to look at anything that will make improvements,” said committee co-chair Sen. Joyce Krawiec (R-Forsyth). 
 
The next meeting is scheduled for March 15.  Links to this week’s presentations can be found below:
 
North Carolina's Health Care Workforce
NC Medicaid's Medicaid Expansion Presentation
Medicaid Expansion Fiscal Background
NCAHP's Update on Medicaid Transformation
Medicaid Expansion in Rural North Carolina
National Academy for State Health Policy Presentation
 
Redistricting
Last Friday the attorneys for the North Carolina General Assembly filed an appeal to the United States Supreme Court asking it to overturn the state courts’ rulings on the new congressional map.
 
“The United States Constitution is clear—state legislatures, not state judges, are responsible for setting the rules governing elections,” said the Speaker of the House Tim Moore (R-Cleveland).  “By striking the General Assembly’s congressional map and redrawing their own…the courts have, once again, violated the separation of powers.  This effort to circumvent the elected representatives of the people will not stand.”
 
On Wednesday, the North Carolina State Board of Elections and several plaintiffs in the redistricting lawsuit filed responses to the Supreme Court requesting that it uphold the North Carolina courts’ rulings.  The United States Supreme Court has not announced whether it will hear the case or not. 
 
Although the redistricting case has been taken to the Supreme Court, candidate filing continued for the 2022 elections this week, and it will end on Friday, March 4 at 12pm.  North Carolina’s primary elections are currently scheduled for May 17.